John Rubinstein

Haha, nice distinction

I gave my Y12 students a test today in #ALevelMaths . They complained afterwards that they didn’t know what a rhombus is.
I don’t teach GCSE: would you not expect students to know what a rhombus is at GCSE?

Don’t you hate it when a student asks for help with part (iv) of a STEP question?

I recommend this movie. Thrilling and funny and entertaining. And incredible soundtrack.

Wow!

I taught both methods last year. Every single student preferred the parallel/perpendicular vector method. Maybe it was because I taught that first, but I think the main reason is that method makes sense, it is visual and transparent.

Field trip to Hurn?

Is it just me or was #OnlyConnect easier tonight?

If you have the initial and final velocities in vector form, then you can find the angle of deflection using the scalar product

Thank you. Should have checked that document first!

Wow, that’s clever!

Definitely agree re the mark allocation. I just looked up what the E means and you’re right. Damn, I have been telling student for 4 years that they are past paper questions!

It’s marked as a past paper question. In an exam I would be trying to solve the equations analytically not just spot a solution. And I don’t think they would be expecting us to solve a polynomial of degree 6 by using the factor theorem with trial and error.
I think I must be missing something.

How is this a past paper question?

I am stuck if any kind soul can help. In the Edexcel Core 1 chapter on roots of polynomials Ex4C Q9, you end up with these four equations, which I haven’t been able to solve.
Solution bank just ‘spots’ the solution, which isn’t very satisfactory.
#ALevelMaths

Fair enough

As it happens, we did that today. We discussed afterwards whether it was easier to take a out as a factor or divide through by a. We decided better to divide through.

If you are at all interested in WW2, in what Britain was like in the late 30s and during the war, in debunking some myths and learning some history, I wholeheartedly recommend this book.

I’m old school: I mark it properly/fully and give them a numerical mark. I go over common issues with the class as a whole and go over individual issues with students 1-1. Sometimes I give a mark 2 homework to those who scored poorly.

Good.

When I was principal of a SFC there were tons of services we couldn’t access, lots of information/data we weren’t entitled to, loads of funding streams we couldn’t apply for. When we academised, that changed.

I’m not sure sixth form colleges can access that service, I think it might be just schools. But I hope I’m wrong.

Been on the beach four days in the last seven. Seen quite a few women reading books but only one man (and that was Jeffrey Archer so not sure if it counts).

Lots of pleasing mathematical spirals in these plants in a garden in Cornwall.

The novel is excellent.

Just read The Heart’s Invisible Furies by John Boyne. Fantastic. About about a gay boy/man growing up in Ireland in the 50s/60s, later living in Amsterdam and New York before returning to Ireland. So passionate, powerful and moving, but also one of the funniest novels I have ever read.

I have seen a lot of focus across the media on A*-A, I think you’re right. Traditionally there was more attention on A*-B (not C) sometimes known as ‘high grades’. I prefer this.
Of course individual schools publicise the stats which make them look good, often deliberately confusing.

#ALevelMaths

#ALevelMaths

True